Chandler And Gilbert Consider Joint Jail

Gilbert and Chandler police may soon be sharing a jail. The partnership would save the departments money and save officers time. The jail would be located in Gilbert, in a revamped version of its current, short-term holding facility.

Gilbert and Chandler would split the estimated $300,000 three construction cost. The annual savings for each city is expected to be in the tens of thousands. These days, when someone is arrested in either city, he or she has to be booked in Phoenix and then transported back to face the judge. As Chandler Police Department Assistant Chief David Neuman explained, this practice is not common.

"Most of the cities have their own city detention, so they’re not having to travel downtown to book a suspect into jail until they see the judge for their initial appearance," Neuman said.

He added that the shared facility will save money and keep more officers on the street. He estimates that in 2012, Chandler paid more $1.2 million to Maricopa County for booking and housing fees for 2,000 inmates. The joint jail is still in the planning stages, and a possible opening date has not been set.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been modified to reflect Chandler paid more than $1.2 million to Maricopa County in 2012.

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